Met season opens with a gentle comedy

Jerry Sehulster

Published 1:18 pm, Thursday, October 4, 2012

The Metropolitan Opera opened its 2012-13 season with a brand new production of Gaetano Donizetti's "L'Elisir d'Amore." A gentle, Italian comic opera from the 1830s, "L'Elisir" is a far cry from the high-impact works typically chosen to open a new season at the Met, but Anna Netrebko, who ushered in last season with Donizetti's "Anna Bolena," stars in the role of Adina. She is high impact.

Clearly adept at comedy, Netrebko lights up the stage at every moment. Her Adina is haughty, flippant and chilly, with maybe just a touch of Scarlett O'Hara. But she's also sometimes a bit goofy, rough, then reflective, sincere and, when her defenses crumble, ecstatic. As of late Netrebko's voice is darker and richer than the sort of voice one usually associates with the role (compare hers to that of Diana Damrau, Kathleen Battle or Judith Blegen), but Netrebko's total package works well on all counts.

She is accompanied by Matthew Polenzani as the simple but genuine Nemorino, who loves Adina, but who is also painfully aware of the numerous stumbling blocks between him and any real relationship with her. Nemorino is an uncultured illiterate, but on the whole a pleasant peasant; Adina owns the farm.

In this new production by director Bartlett Sher, Nemorino is more often buffeted about by the opposition, one Sergeant Belcore, who muscles his way into town. Nemorino is shoved around, pushed aside, restrained, and, consequently, he becomes more passionate and more desperate in his love quest than other tenors I've seen in the role. Vocally, Polenzani has matured with his assumption of heavier leading tenor parts. His was a fine performance.

Mariusz Kwiecien resumes the role of the arrogant Sergeant Belcore; basso buffo Ambrogio Maestri essays Dr. Dulcamara for the first time here. Under Sher's direction, Kwiecien's Belcore is less the humorous Capitano character from the Italian Commedia dell'Arte tradition, more the invader who moves in and gets what he wants. "L'Elisir d'Amore" premiered in Milan at a time when northern Italy was occupied by the Austrians.

Dr. Dulcamara is the traveling charlatan whose "elixir of love," combined with some timely advice and luck, makes everything come out all right in the end. Maestri's voice retains a richness and volume not frequently found in a buffo role like Dulcamara, but he also does not skimp on the requisite patter singing that is so central to this music. His big entrance and his rapid-fire sales pitch were marvelous. A large man with large voice, Maestri dominates his every moment onstage.

Sher's thoughtful conception of the story leads us below the surface to deeper emotional levels. Adina's conflicted feelings for Nemorino are evident earlier than in previous productions. They horse around a little in the village -- she teasing him, he poking her -- as if they had been childhood playmates, but are now adults separated by a gulf in social status. Belcore's entrance with his troops is far less funny than in the previous production -- no marching backwards, no bumping into each other like the police in a Gilbert and Sullivan opera -- in this new production they are clearly better trained and there is always a hint of menace with their presence.

Michael Yeargan, who has worked with Sher on several past productions, notably Rossini's "Il Barbiere di Siviglia" and "Le Comte Ory," has designed sets that are warm in color and rich in atmosphere. Adina's farm is shady and lazy, but the village square is bustling in the southern Italian sun. The sets also narrow the proscenium, thus containing the action and bringing it to the fore.

The Met's new "L'Elisir d'Amore" is performed again on the Met stage on the evenings of Oct. 10, Jan. 30 and Feb. 2 and 6. Saturday matinees are Oct. 13 and Feb. 9. Visit http://www.metopera.org/ or call 212-362-6000 for tickets. The Oct. 13 matinee will be telecast in High Definition on Sunday, Oct. 14 as encores at the Quick Center in Fairfield (show times are 1 and 6 p.m.) and to the Ridgefield Playhouse (show time is 1 p.m.). Tickets for these venues may be purchased at their websites or via links through the Met's website. The matinee performance of Feb. 9 will be broadcast on traditional radio FM frequencies, including WQXR-FM (105.9) and WNYC-HD2 (93.9).